Jammed Emulsion Toothpaste Composition Without Opacifiers or Thickeners
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing toothpaste compositions require additional ingredients like thickening agents and solid opacifiers to achieve suitable yield stress and opacity, which can lead to formulation instability and consumer preference for simpler compositions.
Innovation Solution
A jammed oil-in-water emulsion toothpaste composition with appropriately sized hydrophobic droplets and controlled mixing techniques to achieve high yield stress and opacity without these additives.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If thickening agents are added to increase yield stress, then the toothpaste can stand-up on toothbrush bristles and be dispensed from tube, but the composition becomes more complex and may become unstable
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the need for thickening agents by using a jammed emulsion system where the hydrophobic phase droplets are packed at high concentration (greater than 50 vol%). The jammed state of the droplets naturally provides the required yield stress and structural stability without requiring additional thickening ingredients, thus simplifying the composition while maintaining functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical state and concentration parameters of the hydrophobic phase by creating a jammed emulsion with high internal phase concentration. This parameter change from a typical emulsion state to a jammed state fundamentally alters the rheological properties, providing sufficient yield stress without additional additives.
2Illumination intensity
If solid opacifiers are added to achieve opacity, then the toothpaste has visual appeal, but the composition becomes more complex and may become unstable
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the need for solid opacifiers by utilizing the inherent optical properties of the jammed emulsion system. The high concentration of hydrophobic droplets in the jammed state naturally scatters light and provides opacity, eliminating the requirement for additional opacifying ingredients and simplifying the overall composition.
Solution Approach 2:
The jammed emulsion system serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides yield stress for dispensing and brush stand-up, and it provides opacity for visual appeal. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate ingredients for each function, reducing overall composition complexity.
3Strength
If additional ingredients are added to improve performance, then yield stress and opacity are enhanced, but formulation instability may occur due to interactions between ingredients
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates problematic ingredient interactions by formulating a toothpaste composition with only two phases: aqueous phase and hydrophobic phase, arranged as a jammed emulsion. This minimal ingredient approach removes the source of formulation instability while maintaining the required yield stress through the jammed state of the emulsion.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The composition achieves unexpectedly high yield stress and opacity without thickening agents or solid opacifiers, providing stability and visual appeal.
Implementation Method 1
jammed oil-in-water toothpaste composition comprising (a) aqueous phase; (b) hydrophobic phase; and (c) emulsifier, wherein the hydrophobic phase has a D[4,3] equivalent-diameter of droplets of hydrophobic phase is from about 0.001 microns to about 1000 microns
Implementation Method 2
the toothpaste composition is substantially free of, essentially free, and/or free of solid opacifier
Data Source
AI summary
Jammed oil-in-water emulsion toothpaste compositions. Jammed oil-in-water emulsion toothpaste compositions with unexpectedly high yield stress values and/or high opacity without the use of a solid opacifier. Jammed oil-in-water emulsion toothpaste compositions with a hydrophobic phase with a particular droplet size of from about 0.4 microns to about 1000 microns, which can lead to toothpaste compositions with unexpectedly high yield stress values and/or high opacity without the use of a solid opacifier.